There is no image quite so direct as a drawing. The hand of the
artist is evident, wherever the image came from. I have often thought
of this act as a sort of fencing, carving lines
and marks into the page. With a sword or burin as much
as a pen. For this reason, there is dimension to the surface of my
drawings: they are actually inscribed. All the decisions are seen, erasures disallowed.

I am particularly enamored of graphite for portraits in this very direct
in-your-face manner. These are done knee-to-knee over 2-3 hrs and
then touched in the studio.... It is imperative to show (or "Catch," the
story goes below) the elements and affect that is projected FROM the sitter---
very much a drawing-that-God-does-himself-through-me kind of thing.

All my portraits are that way, in any medium-- it is surprising to me
that the stereotypical comment is actually true-- that the artist
only "catches" what the sitter projects. Often, the sitter is just as tired
as I am! However, you will agree the results are interesting.
I'll post some done in oil as well. At one time, I had used photographs
as references for portraits and found the results to be stiff and unsatisfyingly-distant--
so all portraits are now done in sittings---
--- sometimes brief, but nonetheless Present.